Diaper changing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A diaper changing apparatus that restrains an infant, child, or special need individual in a way that aids the caregiver&#39;s ability to manipulate his or her position and orientation to provide access to the diaper area during diaper changing activities. The apparatus allows the caregiver to easily lift the legs and buttocks, providing access to the underside of the infant, child, or special need individual for diaper changing activities. In some embodiments, adjustments to the height of the legs and buttocks and the separation of the legs may be made during a diaper change by moving a restraint of the apparatus in the direction of the desired adjustment. Some embodiments aid a caregiver by restraining the arms, chest, or torso to prevent the infant, child, or special needs individual from interfering with the diaper change, but without immobilizing him so much that the caregiver cannot easily adjust his position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When changing the diaper of an infant, toddler, or special needsindividual, a caregiver must traditionally hold and lift the legs withone hand and clean the diaper area with the other hand. In this patent,“person” refers to infants, toddlers, or special needs individuals inneed of a diaper change. The task of changing the person's diaper ischallenging because of the person's tendency to roll over or squirm outof the caregiver's grasp. Moreover, using a single hand for diaperingactivities as in the traditional method is especially challengingbecause of the person's tendency to soil himself and the caregiverduring the diaper change. With the traditional method, it is notpossible to simultaneously (1) separate the person's legs to clean thegroin area; (2) lift the person's legs and buttocks to clean thebuttocks; (3) restrain the person from rolling over or from interferingwith the diaper change; and (4) containing waste generated during thediaper change. The prior art fails to address these problems.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,654 (the “'654 patent”) discloses a set of anklerestraints and a handle for lifting the restrained ankles upward.Because the invention disclosed in the '654 patent requires thecaregiver to hold and lift the handle upward, the patented inventionfails to solve the problem of freeing up both hands for diaperingactivities. The infant's buttocks are lifted only while the caregiverlifts the handle of the device. There is no way to lock the height ofthe infant in place so one hand must always be holding and lifting thehandle during diapering activities. Moreover, the invention described inthe '654 patent does not allow for separating the infant's legs oradjusting the distance between the infant's legs during the diaperchange. The legs are separated at all times by a fixed, “slightlyseparated” width. The claims and specification reveal there is no way toadjust the separation of the legs either to fit the device to infants ofdifferent sizes or to properly clean soiled areas in the groin region.The '654 patent provides no mechanism for restraining the infant's handsto prevent him or her from interfering with the diaper change and nomechanism for preventing the child from rolling over. The '654 patentalso never mentions methods for containing waste generated during thediaper change.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,142 (the “'142 patent”) discloses a diaper changingtable that includes two rods with stirrups and a foot pedal that raisesthe rods. The lifting force in this invention comes from below as therods are pushed upward. Although this invention allows for a hands-freeoperation of lifting the infant's legs and buttocks, there is no abilityto adjust the separation of the legs. Further, the invention describedin the '142 patent fails to allow the caregiver to adjust the height ofthe infant's buttocks easily during a diaper change. Instead, thespecification and claims make clear that there are only two differentheights allowed by the device during a diaper change (“a first andsecond position”). Adjusting the device to achieve any other heightsinvolves significant effort because “if the stirrup needs to be a littlehigher or a little lower, the setscrew can be loosened, the rods can beadjusted in length and the setscrew could be tightened again to fastenthe rods back together.” Not being able to easily adjust the device toraise the infant's buttocks to many different heights during a diaperchange negatively impacts the utility of the device. The inventiondescribed by the '142 patent is also a “piece of furniture” and istherefore not easily moved to different locations and is not easily usedon different surfaces. The invention described by the '142 patent alsorequires that the caregiver continually depress the pedal to keep theinfant's legs raised. The '142 patent provides no mechanism forrestraining the infant's hands to prevent him or her from interferingwith the diaper change and no mechanism for preventing the child fromrolling over. There is also no mechanism for catching the infant's wasteproduced during the diaper change.

U.S. Publication No. 2005/0235424 (the “'424 publication”) is comprisedof a bed that tapers off near the child's buttocks to allow the child'sbuttock's to hang over the end of the device. This device does noteasily facilitate access to the child's buttocks because the amount ofspace the operator has to clean the buttocks is limited by the fixeddistance between the basin of the device and the child's buttocks. Ifthe device is placed so that the child is close to horizontal (which isan ideal position to set the child down in) little room is availablebetween the surface on which the device lies and the buttocks, making itdifficult to clean the diaper area. In addition, the device includes apair of stirrups for restraining the legs of the child, but thesestirrups are only adjustable via a telescope adjustor. The telescopeadjustor does not allow for adjusting the distance between the infant'slegs; it only allows for adjusting the length of the stirrups. The '424publication provides no mechanism for restraining the child's hands toprevent him or her from interfering with the diaper change. Although the'424 publication provides a chest strap, the chest strap is attached toa rigid base. The rigid base impedes a caregiver's ability to lift,turn, and move the child's legs, buttocks, and torso for improved accessto the diaper area. The '424 publication also never discusses amechanism for catching the child's waste produced during the diaperchange.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,755,198 (the “'198 patent”) is directed to a system forrestraining the upper torso of a child or infant for diaperingactivities. The system provides a rigid base on which the child is laidand a pair of chest straps arranged in a crisscrossing manner. Thisdevice does not allow a caregiver to simultaneously lift and separatethe legs of a baby to provide access to the diaper area during a diaperchange and it does not leave both of the caregiver's hands free toengage in diaper changing activities. The '198 patent provides nomechanism for restraining the child's hands to prevent him or her frominterfering with the diaper change. Although the '198 patent provides acrisscrossed chest strap, the crisscrossed chest strap is attached to arigid base. The rigid base impedes a caregiver's attempt to lift, turn,and move the child's legs, buttocks, and torso for improved access tothe diaper area. The invention described by the '198 patent also failsto include a way to fix the position of the infant's buttocks and legsinto place and never discusses a mechanism for catching the child'swaste produced during the diaper change.

In summary, the prior art does not adequately provide a solution to theneed for an apparatus to lift the legs and buttocks and separate thelegs of the person in need of a diaper change, the need for an apparatusthat can be adjusted easily during a diaper change to many differentpositions, the need for an apparatus that frees both of the caregiver'shands to help clean the soiled person, the need for an apparatus thatrestrains a person's hands to prevent him or her from interfering withdiaper changing activities, the need for an apparatus to prevent theperson from squirming or rolling over while still allowing enoughflexibility to allow the caregiver to lift and turn the legs, torso, andbuttocks of the person, the need for the caregiver to fix the positionof the person's legs and buttocks in place, or the need for an apparatusthat catches waste or urine produced during the diaper change. There isa continuing need for a new diaper changing device to meet theseobjectives.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a diaper changing apparatus thatrestrains the person in a way that aids the caregiver's ability tomanipulate the position and orientation of the person's legs andbuttocks. Some embodiments provide an adjustable diaper changingapparatus that allows a caregiver to lift and separate the legs of aperson to provide access to the diaper area during a diaper change withminimal hand involvement. Some embodiments of the invention include aset of arms that attach to the person's legs or feet through restraints.The caregiver may move the arms during a diaper change, which in turnraises or lowers the buttocks of the person. The apparatus also allowsthe caregiver to easily adjust the distance between the person's legsduring a diaper change.

In some embodiments of the invention, the height of the person'sbuttocks and the separation of the person's legs may be adjusted easilyduring the diaper change. Adjustments to the height of the buttocks andthe separation of the legs may be made during a diaper change by simplymoving an arm of the adjustable diaper changing apparatus in thedirection of the desired adjustment. Some embodiments of the apparatusallow the caregiver to lock the person's legs and buttocks in thedesired position so the caregiver may use both hands to clean and diaperthe person. Some embodiments of the present invention include absorbentpads whose position may be adjusted to catch waste or urine producedduring the diaper change.

Some embodiments of the diaper changing apparatus aid a caregiver indiapering activities by restraining the person's arms and/or chest ortorso to prevent the person from interfering with the diaper change, butwithout immobilizing the person so much that the caregiver cannot easilylift the person's legs and buttocks or adjust the position of the personfor improved access to the diaper area. In some of these embodiments,arm restraints allow the person to have some movement so that the personcan remain comfortable while he or she is moved through a variety ofpositions during the diaper change. Also, in these embodiments, theperson is lying on a semi-rigid pad that is capable of bending upwardsand downwards as the caregiver lifts the person's legs and buttocksduring the diaper change. The semi-rigid pad, however, has limitedcapability of twisting side-to-side so as to secure the person's torsoand to prevent the person from rolling over during the diaper change. Achest or torso restraint is attached to the semi-rigid pad to secure theperson.

These and other features of the present invention will become moreapparent upon consideration of the detailed description and accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred and non-limiting features of the invention will now bedescribed in connection with the appended drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of theinvention that includes curved arms and arm restraints.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of theinvention that includes curved arms, arm restraints, a chest or torsorestraint, a flexible or semi-rigid pad, and absorbent pads connected toflexible or adjustable arms for catching waste.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an example of arm restraints connectedto a base. In this example, the arm restraints are connected to atubular base.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of how the armrestraints of FIG. 4 may bend to allow for the person to have somemovement of his hands.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the chest or torso restraint and aflexible or semi-rigid pad designed to prevent the person from rollingover. In this example, the flexible or semi-rigid pad is connected to atubular base.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing how the flexible or semi-rigid padof FIG. 6 may curve upward to allow some movement so a caregiver maylift the person's buttocks during a diaper change. The flexible orsemi-rigid pad has limited ability to twist side-to-side to restrain theperson enough to prevent him from rolling over.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of absorbent pads for collecting urineconnected to flexible or adjustable arms.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of theinvention wherein both the leg restraints and arm restraints areattached to locking, segmented arms or flexible gooseneck tubing. Theflexible gooseneck tubing has resistance to movement that an infant orperson cannot easily overcome. The term “locking mechanism” in thispatent includes the resistance to movement that flexible goosenecktubing and other materials exhibit in addition to more traditionallocking mechanisms.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of theinvention wherein the primary arm is fixed in place relative to the baseand the secondary arms are extendable to allow for adjusting the lengthof the secondary arms.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of theinvention that includes arm restraints, a chest or torso restraint, anda flexible or semi-rigid pad designed to prevent the person from rollingover. In this embodiment, the flexible or semi-rigid pad is connected toa flat base.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. Thedevice includes a base (1) to provide support for the device. The basein FIG. 1 is tubular, but the base may be a variety of different shapesas long as it performs the function of supporting the device or being astructure that other elements of the device can connect to. The base (1)may be placed on and/or fastened to a surface through any fasteningmethod (e.g. screws, adhesive, hook and loop, etc.). There are a varietyof surfaces to which the apparatus may be fastened, including a floor,wall, furniture such as a table or a crib, etc. The base (1) isconnected to the main adjustable connection (2), which also connects toa primary arm (8). There can be more than one primary arm (8).

The secondary arms (6) are attached to the primary arm (8) via asecondary adjustable connection (5). There can be multiple secondaryarms (6) as depicted in FIG. 1. The secondary arms may be short or longand, in some embodiments, their length is adjustable. The secondary arms(6) serve as a place to anchor the leg/foot restraints (7). The leg/footrestraints (7) attach to the person anywhere along the person's legs orfeet. The leg/foot restraints (7) are constructed using any mechanismused to restrain a human appendage, including straps fastened by hookand loop fasteners, belts, cuffs, etc. The adjustable connections may beany kind of adjustable device that allows the distance between thesecondary arms to be adjusted. For example, adjustable connections (2)and (5) may be constructed by having an internal gear (or gears) andratchet, or they may be a slidable or rollable device. In a gear andratchet system, a small movement of the primary arm (8) or the secondaryarms (6) will cause the gear to advance to the next ratcheting position.

The main adjustable connection (2) provides many fixed positions of theprimary arm (8). Some of these fixed positions lift the legs andbuttocks of the person to a sufficient height for access to the buttocksfor a diaper change. During a diaper change, a user may easily makeadjustments to the height of the person's legs and buttocks off asurface on which the person is laying by moving the primary arm (8) inthe direction of the desired adjustment.

In the embodiment in FIG. 1, the main adjustable connection has alocking mechanism, which may be any locking mechanism (i.e. friction,ratchet, etc.). In an alternative embodiment, the arms may be made offlexible gooseneck tubing or another material that resists movement. Theterm “locking mechanism” in this patent thus also includes theresistance to movement that flexible gooseneck tubing and othermaterials have in addition to more traditional locking mechanisms. Thedevice would be considered “locked” when the person could not easilyovercome the flexible gooseneck tubing's resistance to movement.

In some embodiments, a user must activate the release switch (3) to lockthe primary arm (8) in a fixed position. In some embodiments, thelocking mechanism may be set to lock in a designated position, and theuser may adjust the designated position only when the release switch (3)is manually activated. In some embodiments, when the release switch (3)is released, the primary arm (8) automatically locks in the currentposition. In some embodiments, the locking mechanism may be set to allowthe user to freely move the primary arm (8) upward without activatingthe release switch (3), but to prevent the user from moving the primaryarm (8) downward unless the release switch (3) is activated. Thisembodiment allows the user to freely adjust the primary arm (8) upwardto increase the height of the person's buttocks off the surface on whichthe person is laying without needing to manually actuate a releasingswitch (3). In such a case, the primary arm (8) may be adjusted upwardjust by nudging the primary arm (8) with the back of the hand, wrist, orarm, which is especially helpful if the user's hands are soiled from thediaper change or if the user is holding something in his or her handduring the diaper change. In an alternative embodiment, activation ofthe release switch (3) would cause the height of the top of the primaryarm (8) above the surface on which the person is laying to increase (ordecrease) through electronic signaling and an internal motor.

One or more secondary adjustable connections (5) allow the user toadjust the separation of the person's legs. Separating the person's legsgives the caregiver improved access to the diaper area. The secondaryadjustable connections (5) may be any kind of adjustable device thatallows the distance between the secondary arms to be adjusted. Forexample, adjustable connections (5) may be constructed by having aninternal gear (or gears) and ratchet, or they may be slidable orrollable devices.

The secondary adjustable connections (5) may have a locking mechanism,which may be any mechanism (i.e. friction, ratchet, etc.). The arms mayalso be made of flexible gooseneck tubing, which resists movement. Theterm “locking mechanism” in this patent thus also includes theresistance to movement that flexible gooseneck tubing has in addition tomore traditional locking mechanisms. In some embodiments, a user mustactivate the release switch (4) to lock the second or third arms (6) ina fixed position. In some embodiments, the locking mechanism may be setto lock in a designated position, and the user may adjust the designatedposition only when the release switch (4) is manually activated. In someembodiments, when the release switch (4) is released, the second orthird arm (6) automatically locks in the current position.

In some embodiments, the locking mechanism may be set to allow the userto freely move the first or second arm (6) outward without activatingthe release switch (4), but to prevent the user from moving the secondor third arm (6) inward unless the release switch (4) is activated. Thisembodiment allows the user to freely adjust the second or third arm (6)outward to increase the separation of the person's legs without needingto manually actuate a release switch (4). In such a case, the second orthird arm (6) may be adjusted outward just by nudging the second orthird arm (6) with the back of the hand, wrist, or arm, which isespecially helpful if the user's hands are soiled from the diaper changeor if the user is holding something in his or her hand during the diaperchange. In an alternative embodiment, activation of the release switch(4) would cause the distance between the secondary arms (6) to increase(or decrease) through electronic signaling and an internal motor.

The release switches (3) and (4) may be located in a variety of placeson the device such as on the base (1), the primary arm (8) or the secondor third arm (6). The release switches (3) and (4) can be designed torelease any of the adjustable connections (2) and (5). The lockingmechanisms and release switches (3) and (4) keep the device from beingunlocked without user action when the person's buttocks have been liftedto an elevated state where the person would otherwise return to a proneposition under his or her own weight.

Each device optionally has quick disconnects or hinges that allow thedevice to collapse and fold up into a smaller volume to allow forstorage or travel. In some embodiments, the device folds flat to greatlylessen the space needed for storage or travel.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 2. This embodimenthas many of the same features as the embodiment in FIG. 1. However,unlike the secondary arms (6) in FIG. 1, the secondary arms (18) in FIG.2 are curved to give the caregiver greater space to access the person.In addition, this embodiment includes arm restraints composed of aflexible segmented arm (19) connected to the secondary arms (18) with arestraining cuff (20) similar to that described in FIG. 1 (7). Theflexible segmented arm (19) can be made with a variety of materialsincluding a radius conveyor chain, side flexing modular (chain) belt,crate chain, multi flex chain, slat top chain, flat top chain, hingedslats, and connected slats. These restraints keep the person's arms awayfrom the diaper area but give the person some freedom to move his armsfor his comfort. Also illustrated is a separating segment (21) thatallows the user to disassemble the unit for travel or storage.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3. Thisfigure shows how multiple elements may come together and work in concertto enable the caretaker to more easily change a person's diaper. Theembodiment in FIG. 3 includes curved secondary arms (6) to give thecaregiver more space to access to the person's diaper area. Thisembodiment also includes a flexible or semi-rigid pad (16) upon whichthe person may be positioned and a chest or torso strap (17) to ensurethat the person does not roll over. The semi-rigid pad (16) is capableof bending upward but has limited ability to bend side-to-side. Oneexample of a semi-rigid pad is a bamboo mat or a mat resembling a bamboomat but made out of plastic. Other examples include a radius conveyorchain, side flexing modular (chain) belt, crate chain, multi flex chain,slat top chain, flat top chain, hinged slats, and connected slats.

The embodiment in FIG. 3 includes arm restraints (14) to keep theperson's hands away from the diaper area. This embodiment includes asystem for absorbing urine with one or more absorbent pads mounted onbases (12) or (22). The absorbent pad may be a diaper, which can be usedon the person if the person does not soil that diaper during the diaperchange. This embodiment also includes separating points (21) allowingthe unit to be disassembled for travel or storage. Alternatively, theentire device can collapse for easy travel or storage.

The arm restraints are illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. Although theprimary arm (8), the secondary arms (6) and the leg/foot restraints (7)in FIG. 1 could also be present, they are omitted from this figure forclarity. These restraints allow the person limited use of his or herarms so as to give some comfort to the person while preventing theperson from interfering with diapering activities. The arm restraintsalso give the caretaker enough flexibility to adjust the person'sposition to clean the diaper areas.

The arm restraints may be secured to any part of the device, such as thebase (1) or the second or third arms (6) in FIG. 1. In FIGS. 4 and 5,the arm restraints are secured to the base (1). In some embodiment, thelength of the strap (13) may be adjusted by activating an adjustor (15)and sliding the strap through the base to make it longer or shorter andthen locking it back into place with the adjustor (15). The limitedflexibility of the strap (13) is intended to not only help restrain theperson, but to reduce the possibility of the strap from becomingentangled. The straps (13) may be made from a variety of materials,including a common metal wristwatch strap, plastic, or fabric. The armrestraints may also be constructed with a flexible segmented arm like(19) in FIG. 1. The arm restraints can be made with a variety ofmaterials including a radius conveyor chain, side flexing modular(chain) belt, crate chain, multi flex chain, slat top chain, flat topchain, hinged slats, and connected slats. FIG. 4 shows the flexibilityof the arm restraints (13) and (14) as they are bending upward.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate an embodiment with a flexible or semi-rigid pad(16) and a chest or torso strap (17). The flexible or semi-rigid pad(16) may be attached to the base (1) and optionally another surface suchas the wall, furniture, or the surface on which the flexible orsemi-rigid pad rests. The flexible or semi-rigid pad (16) and the base(1) may be one unified piece or they may be separate pieces that havebeen connected to each other. In FIG. 6, the base (1) is elongated, butthe shape of the base may be any shape that supports the apparatus. Thechest or torso strap (17), which is connected to the flexible orsemi-rigid pad (16), is designed to prevent the person from rolling overor otherwise moving too much that the caregiver's ability to change adiaper is inhibited. A hook and loop fastener or any other similarfastener may be used to close the chest strap (17) over the person. FIG.7 shows how the flexible or semi-rigid pad (16) may curl upward so thatit can raise or lower along with the raising or lowering of the person'sbuttocks. The flexible or semi-rigid pad (16) is designed to havelimited mobility in the side-to-side direction to prevent the personfrom rolling over. One example of a semi-rigid pad is a bamboo mat or amat resembling a bamboo mat but made out of plastic. Other examplesinclude a radius conveyor chain, side flexing modular (chain) belt,crate chain, multi flex chain, slat top chain, flat top chain, hingedslats, and connected slats. In one embodiment, the flexible orsemi-rigid pad (16) is flexible in the direction illustrated in FIG. 7to allow a caregiver to lift, move, and turn a person, but has limitedflexibility in other directions (such as twisting side-to-side).Although the primary arm (8), the secondary arms (6) and the restraints(7) in FIG. 1 could also be present, they are omitted from FIG. 6 forclarity.

FIG. 11 illustrates a similar embodiment to the embodiment shown in FIG.6. In FIG. 11, the flexible or semi-rigid pad (16) is connected to aflat base (1) rather than the elongated base in FIG. 6. The flexible orsemi-rigid pad (16) and the flat base (1) may be one unified piece orthey may be separate pieces that have been connected to each other.

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment with absorbent pads (24) and (25)fastened to a base (22) and connected to the device via flexible oradjustable arms (9). Frequently during a diaper change, a person willurinate and soil the person's clothing and the surface on which theperson is lying. The absorbent pads (24) and (25) and arms (9) helpcontain any additional waste that a person produces during a diaperchange. The absorbent pads (24) and (25) may be adjusted to catch thiswaste and prevent it from soiling the person or the caregiver (or othersin the vicinity) during a diaper change. The absorbent pads (24) and(25) may be a diaper, which can be used on the person if it is notsoiled during the diaper change.

The absorbent pads (24) and (25) may be positioned on the top of thepenis or directly in the projected path of a stream of urine. Thislocation would prevent a male person from urinating on himself, thecaretaker, and the surroundings. The absorbent pads (24) and (25) may bepositioned on the extreme lower back and top of the buttocks. Placingabsorbent pads (24) and (25) at this position could prevent the personfrom soiling the surface on which he is lying as well as preventingother spontaneous waste from reaching undesirable locations.

Two embodiments for the absorbent pad system are specificallyillustrated. The first embodiment uses disposable or washable, removableabsorbent pads (11) on base (12). This embodiment may employ a fasteningsystem such as a clip, hook and loop, or snap etc. to join the base (12)to the absorbent pad (11). The absorbent pad itself may be constructedof any material that is suitable for absorbing or containing waste, suchas cloth or synthetic materials with or without an additional absorbentcore. The second embodiment has a base (22) designed to receive a diaperor absorbent pad (24). The diaper or absorbent pad (24) will serve thepurpose of catching stray waste. This embodiment can double as a stagingsystem for a new diaper (25).

In the above embodiments, the absorbent pad (11) or diaper or absorbentpad (24) may be attached to the bases (12) and (22), respectively, whichare attached to the adjustable arms (9). The adjustable arms (9) can berigid and attached by a rotating joint (10) to allow the pad to bepositioned anywhere convenient. The adjustable arms (9) may also beflexible but with enough resistance to prevent the person from alteringtheir position. The rotating joint (10) may have a built in tensioningdevice such as a spring to cause the device to tend toward a preferredlocation. This would allow the absorbent pad (11) or diaper (24) to stayin contact with the person, even if the person moves positions. Theabsorbent pad (11) may also be constructed of a springy material such asa sponge to help the pad maintain contact with the person's body if hechanges positions.

In FIG. 8, the base (22) provides a structure that the diaper can bewrapped around securely (24) by a clip (23) or other fasteningmechanism. Also, the diaper may be open and partially freed (25),allowing the diaper to be wrapped around the person for diapering.Although the secondary arms (6) and restraints (7) in FIG. 1 could alsobe present, they are omitted from this figure for clarity.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 9. In thisembodiment, both the leg/foot restraints (26) and the arm restraints(29) are attached to locking, segmented arms (27) and (30),respectively. The segmented arms (27) and (30) are attached to the base(1). This embodiment includes controls (28) and (31) for locking thesegmented arms (27) and (30) in fixed positions. These controls (28) and(31) may be located on the segmented arms (27) and (30) in such a way tomaximize the caretaker's ability to activate the controls and adjust thearm simultaneously, and with one hand if necessary. The restraints (26)and (29) may be like those described in FIG. 1 (7).

Alternatively, the arms (27) and (30) may be flexible or adjustablearms, segmented or otherwise, which resist movement like flexiblegooseneck tubing. The resistance would aid in restraining the personwithout preventing the caretaker from manipulating the arms. In suchembodiments, a locking control (28) and (31) could be present or theresistance to movement can serve as the locking mechanism. Or, the armscould “lock” when they resist movement enough to prevent the person fromovercoming the resistance to movement. The term “locking mechanism” inthis patent includes the resistance to movement that flexible goosenecktubing has in addition to more traditional locking mechanisms. In theembodiment with arms made of flexible gooseneck tubing or locking,segmented arms or other adjustable materials, an adjustable connectionto the base is optional because the materials of the arms provide theadjustment irrespective of whether there is an adjustable connection tothe base.

FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of the invention wherein the secondaryarms (33) are extendable and attached via an adjustable connection (34)to the primary arm (32). The adjustable connection (34) may be any kindof adjustable device that allows the distance between the secondary armsto be adjusted. For example, adjustable connection (34) may beconstructed by having an internal gear (or gears) and ratchet, or it maybe a slidable or rollable device. The secondary arms are extendable toallow for adjusting the length of the secondary arms. The extendablenature of the secondary arms (33) may either be from the adjustableconnection (34) also allowing the arms to move along the direction oftheir length or from the secondary arms (33) being, themselves,telescopic or extendable. The primary arm (32) is in a fixed positionrelative to the base. The restraints (7) are attached to the secondaryarms (33). This embodiment allows for the height of the person's legsand buttocks to be adjusted before, during, or after a diaper change byactivating release switch (35) and moving the secondary arms (33) upwardor downward. The distance between the secondary arms (33) may also beadjusted before, during, or after a diaper change due to the adjustableconnection (34).

One of ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that theinvention described herein may be practiced using different combinationsof the disclosed features. In addition, although a number of preferredembodiments have been shown and described, it would be apparent to oneof ordinary skill in the art that certain modifications, variations, andalternatives may be made while remaining within the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A diaper changing apparatus comprising: (a) abase; (b) a primary arm extending from the base, wherein the distancebetween the top of the primary arm and a surface on which a person islying is adjustable via an adjustable connection attaching the base tothe primary arm; (c) a first secondary arm and a second secondary arm,the first secondary arm and the second secondary arm are connected bythe primary arm and are extending from the primary arm via a secondadjustable connection and third adjustable connection; wherein theorientation of the first and second secondary arms is adjustable via atleast one of the second adjustable connection or the third adjustableconnection; (d) a locking mechanism adapted to allow for fixing theposition of the primary arm in place or releasing it for furtheradjustment; (e) a second locking mechanism adapted to allow for fixingthe position of the first and second secondary arms in a particularorientation or releasing them for further adjustment; (f) a firstrestraining member and a second restraining member adapted forrestraining appendages of the person, said first restraining member andsaid second restraining member connected to the first and secondsecondary arms; whereby increasing the distance between the firstrestraining member and the surface on which the person is lying and thesecond restraining member and the surface on which the person is lyinglifts the buttocks of the person upward from the surface on which theperson is lying, and wherein the first secondary arm and the secondsecondary arm are configured to adjust the distance between the firstrestraining member and the second restraining member and separate theperson's appendages via the second adjustable connection and the thirdadjustable connection.
 2. The diaper changing apparatus of claim 1wherein the secondary arms are extendable allowing for adjustments tothe length of the secondary arms.
 3. The diaper changing apparatus ofclaim 1 further comprising a fastening mechanism that operates to fastenthe base to the surface.
 4. The diaper changing apparatus of claim 1further comprising an absorbent pad connected to a tertiary arm, saidtertiary arm connected to either the base, primary arm, or secondaryarms, the absorbent pad capable of absorbing urine.
 5. The diaperchanging apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a semi-rigid padconnected to the base, and a restraint strap connected to saidsemi-rigid pad that is adapted to be positioned across the chest ortorso of the person, said semi-rigid pad capable of bending up and downas a caregiver lifts the person's buttocks during a diaper change butwith limited capability of twisting side-to-side so as to impede theperson's ability to roll over.
 6. The diaper changing apparatus of claim1 further comprising a pair of arm restraints connected to the base,said pair of arm restraints adapted for restraining the person's handsor arms and preventing the person's hands from accessing the pelvicregion.
 7. The diaper changing apparatus of claim 1, wherein thesecondary arms and the restraining members are configured to suspend theperson's appendages from the primary arm.
 8. A diaper changing apparatuscomprising: (a) a base; (b) a primary arm extending only from alongitudinal side of the base, wherein the distance between the top ofthe primary arm and a surface on which a person is lying is adjustablevia an adjustable connection attaching the base to the primary arm; (c)a first secondary arm and a second secondary arm, the first secondaryarm and the second secondary arm are connected by the primary arm andare extending from the primary arm; (d) a second adjustable connectionattaching the first and second secondary arms to the primary arm;wherein the orientation of the first and second secondary arms isadjustable via the second adjustable connection; (e) a locking mechanismadapted to allow for fixing the position of the primary arm in place orreleasing it for further adjustment; (f) a second locking mechanismadapted to allow for fixing the position of the first and secondsecondary arms in a particular orientation or releasing them for furtheradjustment; (g) a first restraining member and a second restrainingmember adapted for restraining appendages of the person, said firstrestraining member and said second restraining member connected to thefirst and second secondary arms; whereby increasing the distance betweenthe first restraining member and the surface on which the person islying and the second restraining member and the surface on which theperson is lying lifts the buttocks of the person upward from the surfaceon which the person is lying, and whereby increasing the distancebetween the first restraining member and the second restraining memberseparates the person's appendages.
 9. The diaper changing apparatus ofclaim 8 wherein the secondary arms are extendable allowing foradjustments to the length of the secondary arms.
 10. The diaper changingapparatus of claim 8 further comprising a fastening mechanism thatoperates to fasten the base to the surface.
 11. The diaper changingapparatus of claim 8 further comprising an absorbent pad connected to atertiary arm, said tertiary arm connected to either the base, primaryarm, or secondary arms, the absorbent pad capable of absorbing urine.12. The diaper changing apparatus of claim 8 further comprising asemi-rigid pad connected to the base, and a restraint strap connected tosaid semi-rigid pad that is adapted to be positioned across the chest ortorso of the person, said semi-rigid pad capable of bending up and downas a caregiver lifts the person's buttocks during a diaper change butwith limited capability of twisting side-to-side so as to impede theperson's ability to roll over.
 13. The diaper changing apparatus ofclaim 8 further comprising a pair of arm restraints connected to thebase, said pair of arm restraints adapted for restraining the person'shands or arms and preventing the person's hands from accessing thepelvic region.
 14. The diaper changing apparatus of claim 8, wherein thesecondary arms and the restraining members are configured to suspend theperson's appendages from the primary arm.
 15. A diaper changingapparatus comprising: (a) a base; (b) a primary arm extending only froma longitudinal side of the base, wherein the distance between the top ofthe primary arm and a surface on which a person is lying is adjustablevia an adjustable connection attaching the base to the primary arm; (c)a locking mechanism adapted to allow for fixing the position of theprimary arm in place or releasing it for further adjustment; (d) a firstrestraining member adapted for restraining an appendage of a person,said first restraining member is connected to the primary arm via asecond adjustable connection; (e) a second restraining member adaptedfor restraining another appendage of a person, said second restrainingmember is connected to the primary arm via a third adjustableconnection; wherein the distance between the first restraining memberand the second restraining member is adjustable via the secondadjustable connection or third adjustable connection; and wherein thefirst and second restraining members are configured to suspend theperson's appendages from the primary arm.
 16. The diaper changingapparatus of claim 15 further comprising a fastening mechanism thatoperates to fasten the base to the surface.
 17. The diaper changingapparatus of claim 15 further comprising an absorbent pad connected to atertiary arm, said tertiary arm connected to either the base or primaryarm, the absorbent pad capable of absorbing urine.
 18. The diaperchanging apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a semi-rigid padconnected to the base, and a restraint strap connected to saidsemi-rigid pad that is adapted to be positioned across the chest ortorso of the person, said semi-rigid pad capable of bending up and downas a caregiver lifts the person's buttocks during a diaper change butwith limited capability of twisting side-to-side so as to impede theperson's ability to roll over.
 19. The diaper changing apparatus ofclaim 15 further comprising a pair of arm restraints connected to thebase, said pair of arm restraints adapted for restraining the person'shands or arms and preventing the person's hands from accessing thepelvic region.
 20. The diaper changing apparatus of claim 15, whereinincreasing the distance between the first restraining member and thesurface on which the person is lying and the second restraining memberand the surface on which the person is lying lifts the buttocks of theperson upward from the surface on which the person is lying, and whereinincreasing the distance between the first restraining member and thesecond restraining member separates the person's appendages.
 21. Adiaper changing apparatus comprising: (a) a base; (b) a plurality ofprimary arms extending from the base, wherein the distance between thetop of each of the primary arms and a surface is adjustable; (c) anadjustable connection attaching each of the primary arms to the base;(d) a locking mechanism adapted to allow for fixing the position of eachof primary arms in place or releasing them for further adjustment; (e) afirst restraining member adapted for restraining an appendage of aperson, said first restraining member connected to at least one of theprimary arms via a second adjustable connection; (f) a secondrestraining member adapted for restraining another appendage of aperson, said second restraining member connected to at least one of theprimary arms via a third adjustable connection; wherein the distancebetween the first restraining member and the second restraining memberis adjustable via the second adjustable connection or third adjustableconnection; and wherein the first and second restraining members areconfigured to extend from at least one of the primary arms toward thebase without touching the base; and wherein the first restraining memberis configured to suspend the appendage of the person from at least oneof the primary arms and the second restraining member is configured tosuspend another appendage of the person from at least one of the primaryarms.
 22. The diaper changing apparatus of claim 21 wherein the primaryarms are extendable allowing for adjustments to the length of theprimary arms.
 23. The diaper changing apparatus of claim 21 furthercomprising a fastening mechanism that operates to fasten the base to thesurface.
 24. The diaper changing apparatus of claim 21 furthercomprising an absorbent pad connected to a tertiary arm, said tertiaryarm connected to either the base or a primary arm, the absorbent padcapable of absorbing urine.
 25. The diaper changing apparatus of claim21 further comprising a semi-rigid pad connected to the base, and arestraint strap connected to said semi-rigid pad that is adapted to bepositioned across the chest or torso of the person, said semi-rigid padcapable of bending up and down as a caregiver lifts the person'sbuttocks during a diaper change but with limited capability of twistingside-to-side so as to impede the person's ability to roll over.
 26. Thediaper changing apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a pair of armrestraints connected to the base, said pair of arm restraints adaptedfor restraining the person's hands or arms and preventing the person'shands from accessing the pelvic region.
 27. The diaper changingapparatus of claim 21, wherein increasing the distance between the firstrestraining member and the surface on which the person is lying and thesecond restraining member and the surface on which the person is lyinglifts the buttocks of the person upward from the surface on which theperson is lying, and wherein increasing the distance between the firstrestraining member and the second restraining member separates theperson's appendages.
 28. A diaper changing apparatus comprising: (a) abase; (b) a plurality of adjustable arms extending from and connected tothe base; (c) a locking mechanism on each adjustable arm in theplurality of adjustable arms adapted to allow for fixing the position ofeach adjustable arm in the plurality of adjustable arms or releasingeach adjustable arm in the plurality of adjustable arms for furtheradjustment; (d) a plurality of restraining members adapted forrestraining the appendages of a person, the plurality of restrainingmembers connected to the plurality of adjustable arms; whereby theheight of the person's buttocks above a surface and the distance betweenthe person's appendages is adjustable by moving one or more adjustablearms in the plurality of adjustable arms, and wherein the plurality ofrestraining members are configured to suspend the person's appendagesfrom the plurality of adjustable arms and prevent movement of theperson's appendages relative to the plurality of adjustable arms. 29.The diaper changing apparatus of claim 28 further comprising a fasteningmechanism that operates to fasten the base to the surface.
 30. Thediaper changing apparatus of claim 28 further comprising an absorbentpad connected to a tertiary arm, said tertiary arm connected to eitherthe base or an adjustable arm, the absorbent pad capable of absorbingurine.
 31. The diaper changing apparatus of claim 28 further comprisinga semi-rigid pad connected to the base, and a restraint strap connectedto said semi-rigid pad that is adapted to be positioned across the chestor torso of the person, said semi-rigid pad capable of bending up anddown as a caregiver lifts the person's buttocks during a diaper changebut with limited capability of twisting side-to-side so as to impede theperson's ability to roll over.
 32. The diaper changing apparatus ofclaim 28 further comprising a pair of arm restraints connected to thebase, said pair of arm restraints adapted for restraining the person'shands or arms and preventing the person's hands from accessing thepelvic region.
 33. The diaper changing apparatus of claim 28, whereinthe plurality of adjustable arms include a primary arm, a firstsecondary arm and a second secondary arm, the first secondary arm andthe second secondary arm are connected by the primary arm.
 34. A diaperchanging apparatus comprising: (a) a base; (b) a semi-rigid padconnected to said base; said semi-rigid pad capable of bending up anddown as a caregiver lifts a person's buttocks during a diaper change butwith limited capability of twisting side-to-side so as to impede theperson's ability to roll over; (c) a chest or torso restraint connectedto said semi-rigid pad; and (d) a pair of arm restraints connected tosaid base; said pair of arm restraints adapted for restraining theperson's hands and suspending the person's hands.
 35. The diaperchanging apparatus of claim 34 further comprising a fastening mechanismthat operates to fasten the base to a surface.
 36. The diaper changingapparatus of claim 34 further comprising an absorbent pad connected to atertiary arm, said tertiary arm connected to either the base or thesemi-rigid pad, the absorbent pad capable of absorbing urine.
 37. Thediaper changing apparatus of claim 34 further comprising a primary armextending from the base, wherein the distance between the top of theprimary arm and a surface on which the person is lying is adjustable viaan adjustable connection attaching the base to the primary arm.
 38. Thediaper changing apparatus of claim 37 further comprising a firstsecondary arm and a second secondary arm, the first secondary arm andthe second secondary arm are connected by the primary arm and areextending from the primary arm.
 39. A diaper changing apparatuscomprising: (a) a base; (b) a primary arm extending from the base; (c) afirst restraining member and a second restraining member adapted forrestraining appendages of a person, said first restraining member andsaid second restraining member connected to the primary arm; and whereinsaid first restraining member and said second restraining member areconfigured to suspend the person's appendages from the primary arm andprevent movement of the person's appendages relative to the primary arm.40. The diaper changing apparatus of claim 39 further comprising afastening mechanism that operates to fasten the base to a surface. 41.The diaper changing apparatus of claim 39 further comprising anabsorbent pad connected to a tertiary arm, said tertiary arm connectedto either the base or primary arm, the absorbent pad capable ofabsorbing urine.
 42. The diaper changing apparatus of claim 39 furthercomprising a semi-rigid pad connected to the base, and a restraint strapconnected to said semi-rigid pad that is adapted to be positioned acrossthe chest or torso of the person, said semi-rigid pad capable of bendingup and down but with limited capability of twisting side-to-side so asto impede the person's ability to roll over.
 43. The diaper changingapparatus of claim 39 further comprising a pair of arm restraintsconnected to the base, said pair of arm restraints adapted forrestraining the person's hands or arms and preventing the person's handsfrom accessing the pelvic region.
 44. The diaper changing apparatus ofclaim 39, wherein increasing the distance between the first restrainingmember and a surface on which the person is lying and the secondrestraining member and the surface on which the person is lying liftsthe buttocks of the person upward from the surface on which the personis lying, and wherein increasing the distance between the firstrestraining member and the second restraining member separates theperson's appendages.